Technical Rescue
Whether it be rappelling down steep rocks to rescue stranded hikers, extricating victims from smashed cars, or securing a building from collapse, the West Metro Technical Rescue Team is prepared to handle most any rescue operation.
Operating out of Station 10 and Station 3 the team uses two specially equipped vehicles to respond to rescue operations requiring technical expertise. These two vehicles are nicknamed "The Rescue" and "The Tower" and respond to all fire calls. The Tower responds to all major automobile accidents in the northern part of the District while The Rescue handles the southern part of the District.
All West Metro firefighters are trained in technical rescues. In 1996, 228 firefighters received training totaling more than 4,700 hours. Topics included:
- Confined space rescue
- Surface ice rescue
- Rope rescue
- Auto extrication
- Trench rescue
- Building collapse rescue
- Swift water rescue
Ten members of West Metro's Technical Rescue Team are also part of FEMA's National Urban Search and Rescue Colorado Task Force One (CO-TF1) Team) The CO-TF1 team is made up of more than 60 firefighters/rescuers from Colorado. This team responds to disasters like the Oklahoma City Bombing or major fires, floods, and other disasters.
(West Metro members of CO-TF1 search for possible victims of the Ft. Collins, Colorado flood in what used to be a mobile home park.)
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System
The national Urban Search and Research (USAR) Response System, established under the authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1989, is a framework for structuring local emergency services personnel into integrated disaster response task forces. These task forces, replete with the necessary tools and equipment, and requisite skills and techniques, can be deployed by FEMA for the rescue of victims of structural collapse.
When the federal government mobilizes resources and conducts activities to support state and local response efforts, it does so under twelve Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). Each ESF is lead by a primary agency, which has been selected based on its authorities, resources and capabilities in a particular functional area. FEMA is the primary agency for ESF-9, Urban Search and Rescue.
After a request for federal assistance from a Governor is received and approved by the President, Task Forces may be activated or placed on alert when a major disaster threatens or strikes a community. The alerted Task Forces start locating personnel and organizing their mobilization. Each Task Force is tasked with having all its personnel and equipment at the embarkment point within six hours of activation. The Task Force can be airborne and heading to its destination in a matter of hours.
Currently, there are 27 FEMA USAR Task Forces spread throughout the continental United States trained and equipped by FEMA to handle structural collapse. They encompass local emergency services personnel from eighteen states. Any task force can be deployed by FEMA to a major area disaster and provide assistance in the areas of structural rescue. Two Task Forces have also responded to several international disasters under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.
A FEMA USAR Task Force is comprised of 62 specialists, and is divided into four major functional elements:
- Search
- Rescue
- Technical
- Medical
Task Force members include structural engineers and specialists in the areas of hazardous materials, heavy rigging, search (including highly trained search dogs), logistics, rescue and medicine. By design, there are two task force members assigned to each position for the rotation and relief of personnel. This allows for round-the-clock task force operations.
Each Task Force is supported by a comprehensive equipment cache totaling 58,000 pounds. The cache elements sent to the disaster scene include communications, locating, rope, rigging, hauling, lifting and pulling equipment. Also shoring, structural movement sensing, victims extrication, cutting and drilling devices are included to perform the often difficult assignments encountered by a FEMA USAR Task Force.
USAR Task Force Medical Component
The medical team is comprised of four medical specialists and two physicians. Many of the medical specialists on USAR teams are both paramedics and fire fighters, and thus have both rescue experience and extensive experience in pre-hospital medical care. Most of the physicians involved in USAR are Emergency Medicine specialists, and have also taken special courses in confined space medicine and crush syndrome.
The medical team is designed to bring the Emergency Department out to the field. It carries all of the advanced life support equipment available in any advanced life support ambulance. In addition to providing advanced emergency medical care in the field, it has training in hazardous materials, public health issues relevant to disaster management, confined space medicine, and other issues important to the function of a US&R Team.
Photos courtesy of FF Don Braning, 12C
